Crowns and Onlays In Ohio. What You Really Need to Know…

Dental Crowns are sometimes referred to as “caps”. Dental crowns are an artificial replacement for that part of the tooth that is above the gum line. A dental crown typically covers the entire tooth, replacing most of the enamel. Dental crowns can be made from metal, gold alloys, metal and porcelain fused together, or entirely of porcelain or other white material. In other words -not all dental crowns are created equal. And that is a big factor when it comes to the quality of your dental crowns as well as the investment required to get quality dental crowns.

Most dental crowns may be fabricated in a laboratory or on a Computer Assisted Design machine. Dental crowns or “caps” are cemented or bonded into place. Some dentists will put metal in your mouth, but here at Grove City Dental we have a goal of 100% Healthy Mouths and in most cases metal and gold is not the way we operate. In other words, if God wanted to put gold in your mouth you would have been born that way!

Now on the other hand, we do work that is as the saying goes ‘good as gold’, but we use the porcelain dental crowns if we have to do a dental crown, but we strive to preserve the integrity of the tooth structure and this often may mean doing an onlay. Teeth that have cracked enamel, broken cusps, extensive decay, or defective fillings often must be crowned. These situations are more involved than a simple area of decay, and can also be more serious; making a replacement filling insufficient or impossible.

Cracked enamel can allow mouth fluids and bacteria into a tooth. This is obviously not a good thing, not to mention the pain associated with cracked enamel or a broken tooth. Grove City Dental has been very successful in treating a variety of situations involving cracked enamel or if you have a broken tooth grove city or chipped tooth in Columbus we would be happy to help you.

If this condition is left un-repaired, this can result in a contaminated nerve. Broken cusps or other broken sections can continue to fracture, causing pain and possible nerve damage. Extensive decay usually means that a large part of the tooth structure has been damaged or destroyed making the area to be repaired too large for a simple filling. And a defective filling is broken or fractured or has sections that have shrunk or expanded away from the rest of the tooth, leaving it at risk for nerve exposure. A crown replaces the damaged parts of a tooth and makes it viable again, adding years to its lifespan.

Crowns can also be a cosmetic dentistry procedure. Grove City Dental serves Grove City cosmetic dentistry as well as Columbus OH cosmetic dentistry needs. For example, when crowns are placed to make cosmetic dentistry improvements in the appearance of teeth. An onlay is a restoration that replaces the central portion of a tooth plus a partial crown covering damaged cusps. It is also cemented or bonded into place. An onlay is recommended when a tooth has been extensively damaged, but has a bit more natural tooth structure remaining. It is a more conservative restoration than a full crown. Crowns and onlays are often required where there has been too much tooth destruction for a “filling” to work. Fillings are not sufficient for repairing cracks, broken cusps, extensive decay, or severely damaged old fillings. There has to be enough of the natural tooth left to support a filling. If not, a crown or an onlay is typically the only solution. Many patients are concerned about possible insurance coverage for crowns and onlays.

While insurance may help, most will not cover all the costs for crowns, and may stipulate an “alternate benefit” of payment toward a a silver filling instead of an onlay. Most plans also have a maximum limit as to the amount of money they will pay for any treatment during a year’s time. It is our responsibility to prescribe what is best for you. The insurance carrier’s responsibility is to control payments. Too often what is best for you and what the insurance company decides to pay are not on the same side. This is sad, but true. But your teeth are worth investing in just like any other vital aspect of your health. That makes sense doesn’t it? Even if your insurance only covers a portion of the fee, a crown or an onlay may be the best way to restore your damaged tooth. Call us if you want to know more. We are always happy to help!